Penn Foster Pros and Cons...Mini Rant.

[Borashi]

Look if you are going for the BSBA in general management they have great options for U/L courses. But they are also slow on grading at times. Also I registered with 2 courses yesterday thru Ann Gardner. She is awesome by the way for enrollment, so I log in on Fri and all the courses she had added. Now I log in today and my retail management course has completely disappeared and the international business course has yet to even unlock. P.F. courses are more expensive then other alternative credit routes, I guess what I've noticed about online schooling is the slow drawn out process of pretty much everything. What really sucks is P.F. is a 9-5, M-F business, so I won't be able to get answers to why the course I had completely disappeared and it pisses me off as weekends are the only time I get to work on my schooling. Also I've been in Strategic Management and Ms. Evans seems to be on a power trip. I did all 3 required webinars, finished with those on Monday and have yet to get my P grade for class participation and she took 11 days to score my last paper. Just seems to be a good option but very very slow. I'm trying to get all my credits done by July 1st so I can graduate from TESU and I don't see how it will be possible with the speed in which these learning organizations move. At this rate I will be lucky to graduate by September.

[AngelaP]

I hear you with your concerns. I was never a fan of Donna, but you have to deal with it. However, I personally enjoyed PF and didn't experience many issues. Also, I have reached them after 5 p.m. I think they are open until 6 or 7?? Donna can be slow in grading, but I have had others with quick turn around. Maybe it was a computer/systems glitch and it will be resolved later today or tomorrow. If not, you can get it all straightened out on Monday. Hope it all works out for you.

[AkaiOkami]

Wish they would change their policy on proctored finals by adding an option to speed up shipments on finals. Sucks to have to finish all assignments in all courses signed up for at the time so that proctored finals will be shipped. Would be more than happy to pay $5 for shipping and processing to ship a proctored final once assignments are done in that particular course and not have to wait on other courses to be finished.

[Borashi]

The point is Penn Foster is a Monday thru Friday business only. I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone this weekend. I had my entire weekend blocked off for these classes and the fact that the entire course just disappeared is total b.s. and my other course international business is still completely locked. Unfortunately International Business has the same instructor as Strategic Management so I will most definitely suffer thru the slow ardous process with this class.

The real interesting part is I enrolled in Financial Management, HR Management, and Strategic Management without any issues. Finished the first 2 courses within 3 weeks, transferred courses to my ace account, simple, but this third course with the instructor and required webinars have just taken up way to much of my time. The instructors should be put on deadlines, so they can't hold final grades/papers/assignments over a students head. Its total B.S.

Now 2 courses I enrolled in Retail Management and International Business both added to my PF account same day I registered, only to have one of them completely disappear. That isn't right, whether its a technical glitch or not. I will be raising hell on Monday...

The fact that my weekends are the only time I can work on my school and that this weekend is wasted due to my one course disappearing completely and my second course being locked means a non productive weekend. I can't rewind this weekend or get this time back, when you have the desire just to get your degree done and the passion that I have for using that degree to move on to a new career its very hard to be patient.

Penn Foster better make this situation right on Monday and they better refund me for at least the one course that disappeared.

[Nixi]

Off-topic, but I actually had a dream last night that my final project for Strategic Management was graded yesterday and I got a really low grade, but it was enough to pass, so I was like whatever and submitted it to ACE for review. And I didn't even turn it in yet (should have been done weeks ago, but other stuff kept getting in the way), I still need to complete it. hilarious

[AngelaP]

Well I don't think it is being done to hold anything over your head, it is just the process. While I am not a fan of Donna's, you are not the only student she has, she teaches more than one class and has a full time job. They are not a 24/7 business and that is just the way it is. I would be frustrated too, but don't take it personally. I learned to register for classes with them earlier in the week in case things such as these happen. They have a 5 calendar day refund policy. You can look up the refund policy to see the different percentages and criteria it is based on. Hope the rest of your weekend is better.

[Borashi]

Well I don't think it is being done to hold anything over your head, it is just the process. While I am not a fan of Donna's, you are not the only student she has, she teaches more than one class and has a full time job. They are not a 24/7 business and that is just the way it is. I would be frustrated too, but don't take it personally. I learned to register for classes with them earlier in the week in case things such as these happen. They have a 5 calendar day refund policy. You can look up the refund policy to see the different percentages and criteria it is based on. Hope the rest of your weekend is better.

I'm not implying its a process being held over my head. What I am implying is that Penn Foster should have timed schedules on when their instructors do the grading of papers. One bad apple ruins the whole bunch.

That is my second point, why is she teaching as an adjunct professor at Penn Foster while having a 2nd full time job if she can't handle the duties of teaching her students and grading their work in a timely manner like the rest of the professors at Penn Foster?

In terms of refunds, I'm talking about how they will rectify the situation since they wasted my entire weekend when I should have been completing courses at Penn Foster.

In terms of customer support they should be available on the weekends as well for their students. The fact that their service isn't should really be looked into. How many other online companies that have a web presence offer 24/7 availability? The answer most do.

[AngelaP]

Well I'm sure you will straighten them out. Good luck!

[Borashi]

Well I'm sure you will straighten them out. Good luck!

Let me state again that Ann Gardner @ Penn Foster is awesome.

Most of the professors at P.F. are professionals, grade work in a timely manner, and offer valid feedback.

They need to do quarterly evaluations on their staff and determine which ones are good for the program and which ones aren't.

I don't expect assignments to be graded in a day, but 11-14 business days between revisions on a final grade paper is unprofessional and Penn Foster should be evaluating their professors based on performance standards.

I do know in most jobs as in mine as well, I have weekly deadlines of constant objectives that have to be met. If they aren't met, consequences happen. Same should be for performance standards of the professors at Penn Foster. It really is quite unfortunate that one bad apple has ruined my perception on Penn Foster. The irony in this is; I have this professor for my next course, and I have a strong feeling we will butt heads again. One in which I'm going to take great delight in.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, this thread has got me thinking as I need three courses from Penn Foster that will transfer as upper credit.
From my understanding, they are "old school" as they snail mail everything. It actually doesn't matter much to me as long as it doesn't hold up too much time.

The main reason I would chose them is because it's easy credits, with assignments that are open book. Finals are proctored for some of them, but that shouldn't be too bad for obtaining UL credit. Some of the courses are my best option price wise as well instead of taking a 3 credit course elsewhere.